Question

A women is out hiking with friends and gets bit by a snake. She is rushed to the hospital and is then treated with an injection of antisera. The next year she is hiking and gets bit by another snake.

1) What does she need to be treated again after the second snake bite?

2) Why might the second treatment of antisera be less effective than the first?

Answer 1

1) The Patient should undergo skin allergy tests if it is positive then she should be given epinephrine then followed by same antisnake venom but with higher dose (within limit) and also a symptomatic treatment.

2)the second treatment of antisera be less effective then first because when antisera is injected first time our body produces antibodies against antisera and memory cells also produces.second time if we antisera memory cells gets Activated immediately against antisera mainly IgM ..and causes neutralization and excreted in the urine .so the second treatment of antisera is less effective than first.